DIY: Beach Wave Spray

I consider it nothing short of a TRAGEDY that I was born without a head full of natural curls. Come on, I'd even settle for waves! My mother and grandmother were blessed with major curls (not sure they saw it as a blessing though...) and I was always waiting for my hair to get curly. I thought if I waited long enough and maybe slept in sponge curlers often enough, then my hair would just magically become curly. I was kind of out of touch with reality for a long time. Still waiting to find some kind of magic amulet which turns me into a teen witch, Universe!

I know curly hair can be a lot of maintenance and, truth be told, I probably couldn't handle it. Everyone who wakes up early to blow dry, straighten or otherwise wrangle their hair has my respect. I know if I actually had hair that required any effort I would probably wear it up in a messy bun even more frequently than I normally do, assuming that was physically possible. I'll stick to envying you curly ladies from afar. 

Since it's summer, I've been doing some research on beach hair sprays to get a little effortless texture. I've tried some store bought kinds in the past (all borrowed from friends so I'm not sure which ones) and it seems everyone on the internet agrees that it is ALL about Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray, which is cool and all, but I'm ALL about keeping my $25 so when I found this recipe, I decided to try my hand at some DIY Beach Wave Spray.

WHAT YOU NEED

Sea Salt  //  Leave-In Conditioner  //  Spray Bottle  //  Coconut Oil  //  Water-Based Pomade  //  Water  //  Mixing Bowl

HOW TO MAKE IT

I made a small batch to test this out, so you can use my measurements or double/triple/whatever them to make more.

First, pour 1/4 cup of water into a mixing bowl. Add 1/4 tsp of sea salt to the water.

Next, add 1/2 TBS leave-in conditioner.

Then add 1/4 tsp coconut oil.

Add a small blob of pomade and mix all ingredients.

Add the mixture into your spray bottle via a funnel (or not if you're a risk taker...also know that I like your style). Shake the closed bottle to mix.

HOW TO USE IT

For reference, here is my super straight hair before I got going.

Disgusted at my lack of natural curls or waves. Simply ridiculous.

You want to apply this to damp hair. I sprayed mine with water, but if you're the type who regularly washes your hair, feel free to do this fresh from the shower, show-off.

When hair is damp, spray the Beach Wave Spray all over like a madwoman.

When your hair feels sufficiently covered, start scrunching it all over to encourage waves. This should feel very familiar if you attended middle/high school in the late 90s-early 2000s and favored the "wet look" created with crunchy gel. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone.

Here's where I got distracted by the fact that my lipstick perfectly matched the nozzle (what a great word) of my spray bottle. EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON!

Here is my hair right after I scrunched my little heart out. It was halfway dry and had some texture and waves all over. Plus a bit o' frizz, but even that is vaguely exciting for a pin-straight-haired lady.

Instead of letting it roam free, I decided to go with the beachy, hippie-esque vibes by adding some braids and a daisy hair clip. This allows for the messiness to look intentional, which is essential to the beach wave look, and also a great way to be kinda lazy about it.

A closeup of the braids. Basically, I just made a tiny braid right above each ear, draped them over my forehead and bobby pinned them on the opposite side, under the rest of my hair. Kind of like mini milkmaid braids, which are THE BEST.

To save your precious fingers from scrolling back up, here's a very scientific before and after comparison.

BONUS! I slept with my hair in a big messy bun (because that is how I always sleep) and the next day I had some curls which had been held together by the Beach Wave Spray! This means two days of hair looks for one day of effort, which is always a win in my book. Unless, of course, you're one of those show-off daily hair washers I mentioned earlier, in which case you don't get this benefit. I think that's fair.

I constantly have a fake flower in my hair. SO WHAT?! You can see me make this one here.

SHORTCUT: Skip all of these steps and just go to the beach, dip your hair in the ocean and sit in the sun like a total champ. Best hair ever and zero dollars. This is my usual approach.

Do you use any beach wave sprays? Do you prefer texture or straight hair on yourself? Are you one of those awesome people who have a giant head of curls that are basically an extra accessory, like Felicity (or another more current example for the young folks)?

xoxo,
Michelle

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